If You're A Real Fan, You Can Name The Last 25 Royal Rumble Winners
- by Chris Roberts
- – on
- in Sports
"The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has far too many pay-per-view events today." That's a common complaint among fans as the company has split into two separate brands - Raw and SmackDown - which have their own monthly PPVs in addition to the four major joint-PPV shows. While the product has certainly become a little watered down with a PPV seemingly every two weeks on the WWE Network, fans still eagerly anticipate the big shows, specifically WrestleMania and the Royal Rumble. While WrestleMania is easily the company's flagship PPV and biggest celebration of wrestling, the January Royal Rumble PPV presents fans with the biggest match - a 30-man battle royal with the winner earning the right to fight for the World Championship at WrestleMania.
The first ever Royal Rumble was held in 1988 with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan walking away victorious. Subsequent winners included Big John Studd, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair, who actually won the vacant World Championship title by winning the Royal Rumble in 1992. In the past 25 years, 19 different wrestlers have won the competitive battle royal, as one wrestler won the event in three separate years, while others have won it twice. Can you correctly identify the winner in each of those years?
Who won the 2017 Royal Rumble?
The 2017 Royal Rumble took place on January 29 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, marking the fourth time the PPV was hosted in the state. In addition to the rumble itself, the card featured John Cena defeating AJ Styles to record his record-tying 16th world championship as well as Kevin Owens retaining the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns. The first entrant in the rumble was Goldberg and the last was Roman Reigns. Chris Jericho, the second entrant, lasted over an hour in the ring.
Who won the 2016 Royal Rumble?
The 2016 Royal Rumble was the fifth time the event was hosted in Florida as it was held at the Amway Center in Orlando on January 24. It was attended by over 15,000 people and featured six matches, including the main event rumble. Dean Ambrose defeated Kevin Owens for the WWE Intercontinental Championship; Kalisto was a surprise winner of the WWE United States Championship; and Charlotte Flair retained the WWE Divas Championship over Becky Lynch. The rumble itself lasted just over an hour and saw Roman Reigns enter first and Triple H enter last.
Who won the 2015 Royal Rumble?
Fan reaction to the 2015 Royal Rumble main event was far from positive, which isn't a surprise given the winner. Held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the card itself included the New Age Outlaws reuniting to take on The Ascension as well as The Usos defending the WWE Tag Team Championship against The Miz and Damien Mizdow. The rumble itself lasted just under one hour and saw The Miz enter first and Dolph Ziggler enter last. Other participants included Ryback, Kane, Dean Ambrose, and The Boogeyman.
Who won the 2014 Royal Rumble?
Held at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the 2014 Royal Rumble was attended by 15,715 people. The PPV is famous for marking the last WWE appearance of CM Punk, who left the company the following day to pursue a career in the UFC (that didn't work out). The main card featured three singles matches - Bray Watt vs. Daniel Bryan, Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show, and Randy Orton vs. John Cena - and, of course, the 30-man Royal Rumble match, which saw CM Punk enter first and last a whopping 49 minutes. Surprise entrants included Kevin Nash and JBL.
Who won the 2013 Royal Rumble?
The 2013 Royal Rumble is also best known because of CM Punk. The main event saw The Rock return to capture the WWE Championship in a one-on-one match against Punk, which ended his incredible 434-day reign as champion. The Royal Rumble match itself took place before the championship match and lasted 55 minutes. It included present-day superstars as well as a few surprise returns, including The Godfather, who only lasted five seconds before being eliminated by Dolph Ziggler. Ryback was the 30th and final entrant.
Who won the 2012 Royal Rumble?
The 2012 Royal Rumble was held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri and attended by 18,121 people. It also received 443,000 PPV buys, which was down slightly from the year prior, perhaps because of the poor booking. The card started off with a triple-threat steel cage match between Daniel Bryan, Big Show, and Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship, and was followed by an eight-diva tag team match and a terrible one-minute bout between Brodus Clay and Drew McIntryre. The main event was the Royal Rumble match, which lasted just under 55 minutes.
Who won the 2011 Royal Rumble?
The 2011 Royal Rumble took place at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts and inlcuded wrestlers from both Raw and SmackDown brands. The winner of the main event match received the option to battle for either the WWE Championship or World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXVII. The first two entrants were CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, who combined to toss out nine of the other 38 wrestlers (the 2011 match featured 40 entrants as opposed to 30). Kane was the 40th entrant.
Who won the 2010 Royal Rumble?
In addition to Raw and SmackDown, the 2010 Royal Rumble included entrants from the now-defunct ECW brand and, as such, the winner was given the option to battle for either of the three championship titles. The card featured memorable singles matches between Sheamus and Randy Orton as well as The Undertaker and Rey Mysterio. The Royal Rumble match was the main event and lasted just under 50 minutes, which is among the shortest times recorded. Dolph Zigger and Evan Bourne were the first two entrants, while Batista entered the ring last.
Who won the 2009 Royal Rumble?
The 2009 Royal Rumble was held at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit Michigan and was attended by 16,685 people. It was billed as a supercard given the premier championships from all three brands - Raw, SmackDown, and ECW - were on the line. John Cena, Edge, and Jack Swagger won those respective matches, while the main event featured the 30 combatants vying for No. 1 contendership in the Royal Rumble match. In addition to wrestlers from all three brands, it included two legend entrants - Rob Van Dam and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.
Who won the 2008 Royal Rumble?
The 2008 Royal Rumble was at the mecca of sports entertainment in New York's Madison Square Garden. It was attended by 20,798 people and, like in successive years, included matches from WWE's three brands - Raw, SmackDown, and ECW. It was the last Royal Rumble card in which Ric Flair wrestled as he defeated Montel Vontavious Porter, while Edge and Randy Orton successfully defender their respective championships. The main event Royal Rumble match lasted 51 minutes and was won by the 30th and final entrant, who eliminated four wrestlers upon entering the ring.
Who won the 2007 Royal Rumble?
Held at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, the 2007 Royal Rumble was one of the least-attended PPVs in recent history as only 13,500 filled the stadium. It was the first Royal Rumble that included the new ECW brand and featured seven ECW wrestlers in the main event Royal Rumble match, including longtime veterans of the original ECW, The Sandman, Rob Van Dam, Sabu, and Tommy Dreamer. Ric Flair was the first entrant, while The Undertaker drew No. 30.
Who won the 2006 Royal Rumble?
The 2006 Royal Rumble was held at the American Airlines Arena on January 29 in Miami, Florida and was attended by over 16,000 people. The 30-man Royal Rumble match was actually the third-to-last match on the card and was followed by John Cena defeating Edge to win the WWE Championship and Kurt Angle defeating Mark Henry to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The card also included The Boogeyman squaring off against JBL and Mickie James battling Ashley. Triple H and Rey Mysterio were the first two entrants in the Royal Rumble match.
Who won the 2005 Royal Rumble?
Held at the smaller-venue Save Mart Center at Fresno State in Fresno, California, the 2005 Royal Rumble was a disaster all-around from attendance to PPV buys and the event's theme song, "Find the Real" by Alter Bridge. Remember Alter Bridge? Exactly. The card itself at least included some decent matches as Triple H defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton and Edge defeated Shawn Michaels in a memorable opening bout. The main event Royal Rumble match lasted 51 minutes and saw Eddie Guerrero enter first and Ric Flair enter last.
Who won the 2004 Royal Rumble?
Like the 2005 Royal Rumble, the 2004 event included a theme song from a now-nostalgic early 2000s band - Puddle of Mudd. The event was held at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended by 17,289 people. In addition to the main event Royal Rumble match, the card included Rey Mysterio defending his Cruiserweight Championship against Jamie Noble, Eddie Guerrero taking on Chavo Guerrero, and Triple H battling longtime friend and foe Shawn Michaels. Chris Benoit was the first entrant in the Royal Rumble match, while Goldberg was the 30th.
Who won the 2003 Royal Rumble?
The 2003 Royal Rumble was held at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts and featured seven matches, including the main event 30-man Royal Rumble match. As the WWE was transitioning out of the Attitude Era, it still featured a women's match between relatively talentless divas Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie, but also had a memorable WWE Championship bout between Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, which overshadowed the awful Scott Steiner/Triple H match for the World Heavyweight Championship. The Royal Rumble match lasted just under 54 minutes.
Who won the 2002 Royal Rumble?
When going through the past Royal Rumble events, it's clear the theme songs never quite hold up and that's certainly the case with the 2002 Royal Rumble, which used Kid Rock's "Cocky" as its promotional song. The event itself was held on January 20 at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia and included championship matches for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Women's Championship, Tag Team Championship, and Intercontinental Championship. The 30-man main event Royal Rumble match lasted nearly one hour and 10 minutes.
Who won the 2001 Royal Rumble?
Held at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2001 Royal Rumble saw Kurt Angle defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Chris Jericho and Triple H as well as Chris Jericho win the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match against Chris Benoit. The main event Royal Rumble match lasted just over an hour and, in addition to WWE superstars, included comedian Drew Carey, who lasted a surprising three minutes before eliminating himself. Kane led the way with a record 11 eliminations.
Who won the 2000 Royal Rumble?
The 2000 Royal Rumble was held at Madison Square Garden and attended by 19,231 people. The premier storyline going into the event centered around Triple H and Mick Foley, who had objected to the way the McMahon-Helmsley faction was scheduling unfair matches. Triple H defeated Foley in a street fight for the WWE Championship at the PPV, while the main event saw 30 superstars battle it out for over 50 minutes for the right to face Triple H at WrestleMania. D'Lo Brown was the first entrant, while X-Pac was the 30th.
Who won the 1999 Royal Rumble?
The 1999 Royal Rumble featured the tag line "No Chance in Hell," which is also the entrance song of Vince McMahon, as the main feud entering the event revolved around McMahon and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who were the first two entrants in the Royal Rumble match. The 30th was Chyna, who was the first ever woman to participate in the match. Other matches on the card included The Rock vs. Mankind in a controversial "I Quit" match for the WWE Championship and X-Pac vs. Gangrel for the European Championship.
Who won the 1998 Royal Rumble?
Held at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California, the 1998 Royal Rumble saw The Rock defeat Ken Shamrock for the WWE Intercontinental Championship and Shawn Michaels defeat The Undertaker in a casket match for the World Heavyweight Championship. The 30-man Royal Rumble match was the second-to-last match on the card and lasted 55 minutes. The first entrants were Cactus Jack (Mick Foley) and Chainsaw Charlie (Terry Funk). While Charlie eliminated Cactus Jack, Mick Foley also entered under his alter egos Mankind and Dude Love.
Who won the 1997 Royal Rumble?
The 1997 Royal Rumble took place on January 19 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas and was attended by over 60,000 people. Sponsored by Starburst, the card featured Sycho Sid taking on Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship as well as Triple H (then Hunter Hearst Helmsley) versus Goldust for the Intercontinental Championship. The 30-man Royal Rumble match lasted over 50 minutes and included Bret Hart, who had recently returned from nearly a year-long absence. Crush was the first entrant, while The Undertaker was the 30th.
Who won the 1996 Royal Rumble?
Before he was "The Game" and a multiple-time WWE Champion, Triple H was losing undercard matches to Duke "The Dumpster" Droese at Royal Rumble 1996. The win allowed The Dumpster to enter the Royal Rumble match as the 30th and final participant, but he obviously didn't last very long. The event marked the first PPV appearance of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who was then wrestling under The Ringmaster alias. The card also featured Goldust defeating Razor Ramon for the Intercontinental Championship and The Undertaker beating Bret Hart by disqualification in a singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Who won the 1995 Royal Rumble?
The WWE was beginning to fade in the ratings war against the WCW by the 1995 Royal Rumble and, consequently, the product was suffering. Only 10,000 people filled the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida for the event, which had a less-than-memorable card. In fact, the last match before the main event Royal Rumble match saw Bob Holly and the 1-2-3 Kid defeat Tatanka and Bam Bam Bigelow for the vacant WWE Tag Team Championships, while Bret Hart and Diesel fought to a draw for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Who won the 1994 Royal Rumble?
Held on January 22 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island, the 1994 Royal Rumble was attended by 14,500 people and included a memorable casket match between Yokozuna and The Undertaker in which Yokozuna - and half the WWE roster - laid a beating on The Deadman and stole his sacred urn, which was being watched over by his manager, Paul Bearer. The main event Royal Rumble match lasted just over 55 minutes with Scott Steiner and Samu as the first two entrants.
Who won the 1993 Royal Rumble?
The 1993 Royal Rumble was held at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California and attended by 16,000 people. The card included Shawn Michaels defeating longtime tag team partner Marty Jannetty to retain his Intercontinental Championship and Bret Hart beating Razor Ramon to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. The one hour and six minutes main event Royal Rumble match saw Ric Flair as the first entrant and "Macho Man" Randy Savage as the 30th and final entrant. Other participants included The Undertaker, Giant Gonzalez, and Ted DiBiase.